Electrician&#39;s flexible clean-out tool



p 6, 19% J. J. NORTON, JR

ELECTRICIAN'S FLEXIBLE CLEAN-OUT TOOL Filed Feb. 4, 1965 mm mu INVENTOR. Jug #1 J Norfon, J'r:

United States Patent 3,270,362 ELECTRICIANS FLEXIBLE CLEAN-OUT TOOL Joseph J. Norton, Jr., 1711 Helmer St., Sioux City, Iowa Filed Feb. 4, 1965, Ser. No. 430,302 2 Claims. (Cl. 15-1043) My invention relates to an electricians clean-out tool.

An object of my invention is to provide a tool which will clean out vertical or other ducts, and especially ducts naturally formed by cement blocks having superimposed openings.

A further object of my invention is to provide a cleanout tool which will not only clean out the material in the openings or ducts, but will additionally provide means whereby an electrical cable can be drawn to a suitable box or other opening.

A cfurther object of my invention is to provide a simple tool which can be manufactured at a reasonable cost.

With these and other objects in view, my invention consist-s in the construction, arrangement, and combination of the various parts of my device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a cross-sectional elevation of a wall structure showing the use of my invention,

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view of FIGURE 1 taken along the lines 22 thereof,

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional detail of the cutting arrangement or bit taken substantially along the lines 33 of FIGURE 4,

FIGURE 4 is a plan view of FIGURE 3,

FIGURE 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the lines 55 of FIGURE 6 of a modification,

FIGURE 6 is a plan view of FIGURE 5, and

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged plan view of the arrangement for rotating the tool.

My invention contemplates the provision of an electricians too-l usable principally in basement walls and wherein it is desired to clean out the debris which falls from the mortared joints between cement blocks, and to provide additional means for attaching armored cable or other cable thereto for drawing said cable into any desired opening, box or other receptacle.

In describing my invention I have used the character 10 to designate the upper portions of a building usually above the ground line, the character 11 indicating the floor, the character 12 indicating joists and with the character 13 indicating a wooden plate running substantially parallel to the joists 12, the character 14 indicating further supports attached to the plate 13.

I have further used the character 15 to indicate cement blocks usually used to construct the basement walls, the character 16 indicating .the concrete basement floor.

The character .17 indicates a series of rectangular openings commonly provided in the blocks 15, the char- .acter 18 indicating the dividing partitions, and the character 19 indicates the cement or mortar joints used for securing the cement blocks together.

In describing the tool of my invention I have used the character 20 to designate a lengthened flexible cable which is secured as at 21 within the socket portion 22 of a bit member 23 which includes an upper annular portion 24 having the cutting teeth 25 formed therein, and formed integrally (with the bit member 23 is the eyelet 26.

The character 27 indicates a switch box having a knockout opening at 28, and the character 29 indicates the handle or a suitable tool for rotating the cable 20. The handle 29 is suitably secured to a tubular member 30 having the boss 31 including a suitable pin upon which the bevel gear 32 is mounted, the character 33 indicat- 3,270,362 Patented Sept. 6, 1966 ing a handle for rotating the gear 32, the gear 32 being adapted to mesh with the further bevel gear 34 which is secured to an adjustable chuck 35 which is used to securely tighten the cable 20 therein, and the cable 20 passes freely through the various members 34, 30 and 29 so that it will rotate when the handle 33 is operated, this arrangement providing means whereby the cable can be successively released and reti-ghtened when the tool is fed through the ducts.

The members 23 include the recessed portions 36 as well as the further openings 37.

FIGURES 5 and 6 illustrate a slight modification wherein a transverse pin 38 is provided and attached across the annular portion 24.

The operation of the device is as follows. It will be noted from FIGURE 2 that the cement blocks are laid so as to provide vertical openings or ducts 17 throughout, and usually in these installations, the mortar or cement at the joints 19 will fall into the ducts to provide a more or less solid mass such as the masses 39 whereby it is extremely difficult for the electrician to remove these masses so that electric cables can be drawn through the ducts.

In the present invention the drill or hit 23 is placed through the opening 2'8 as shown and the handle 33 is operated so that the rapid rotation of the teeth 25 will cut away the softer cement masses at 39 and so that the bit 23 can be gradually forced upwardly. The electrician will cut a suitable opening 40 in the plate 12 by means of a chisel or angle drill or the like. Any suitable hooking arrangement which can be made of a stiff wire or the like can be placed downwardly through the opening 40 to trap or snare the bit 23 and usually the hook at the end of the still wire can be manipulated so as to be received in the recessed portions 36 so that the bit 23 can be drawn through the opening 40, and the conducting wires of the flexible electrical cable can then be placed in the eyelet 2 6 or around the pin 38 and securely attached thereto, whereupon the cable 20 can be drawn downwardly to the box 27 to provide the necessary cable installation, the upper ends of the cable being suitably attached to the joists 12 etc., and to the necessary junction box and the like.

It should be understood that the present tool could be used in a variety of other locations where it is desired to clean out the material therefrom and it will also be observed that if desired the openings 37 could be additionally employed to receive the hook ends of the stiff wire. Also, if desired the hand operated unit for rotating the cable 20 could be replaced by any type of power unit,

such as an electric motor etc., and it will now be noted that I have provided the advantages of my invention with other advantages being apparent.

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of the parts of my invention without departing from the real spirit and purpose of my invention, and it is my invention to cover by my claims any modified forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents which may be reasonably included within their scope.

I claim as my invention:

1. An electricians flexible clean-out tool comprising an elongated flexible cable, a cutting device attached to one end of said cable, said cutting device including a plurality of peripherally arranged teeth, means for rotating said cable, said cutting device including an attaching member for attaching an electric cable thereto, said cutting device being substantially cylindrical and including a recessed annular portion for receiving a hooked member therein, said attaching member including an eyelet positioned centrally of said teeth.

2. An electricians flexible clean-out tool comprising an elongated flexible cable, a cutting device attached to one end of said cable, said cutting device including a plurality of peripherally arranged teeth, means for rotating said cable, said cutting device including an attaching member for attaching an electric cable thereto, said cutting device being substantially cylindrical and including a recessed annular portion for receiving a hooked member therein, said attaching member including an eyelet positioned centrally of said teeth, said rotating means including a handle member, gears attached to said handle member, a rotatable 10 chuck driven by said gears, said cable passing through said handle member and being engaged by said chuck.

4;. References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 11/1933 Sachs 15-104.3 8/1939 Sullivan 15-1043 5/1956 Deason 15-1043 X 3/1957 Yousem 15-104.09

-FOREIGN PATENTS 8/1964 Great Britain.

CHARLES A. WILLMUTH, Primary Examiner. EDWARD L. ROBERTS, Assistant Examiner. 

1. AN ELECTRICIAN''S FLEXIBLE CLEAN-OUT TOOL COMPRISING AN ELONGATED FLEXIBLE CABLE, A CUTTING DEVICE ATTACHED TO ONE END OF SAID CABLE, SAID CUTTING DEVICE INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF PERIPHERALLY ARRANGED TEETH, MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID CABLE, SAID CUTTING DEVICE INCLUDING AN ATTACHING MEMBER FOR ATTACHING AN ELECTRIC CABLE THERETO, SAID CUTTING DEVICE BEING SUBSTANTIALLY CYLINDRICAL AND INCLUDING A RECESSED ANNULAR PORTION FOR RECEIVING A HOOKED MEMBER THEREIN, SAID ATTACHING MEMBER INCLUDING AN EYELET POSITIONED CENTRALLY OF SAID TEETH. 